Car-coupling



(No Model.)

W. G. WATSON. GAR COUPLING.

No. 541,907 Patented m 2, 1&95.

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In y 0o 11 "I"!!! maul Unirrnn STATES Aren't FFIQEO WILLIAM C. WATSON, OF PATERSON, NEV JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

QEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 541,907, dated July 2, 1 895. Application filed September 18,1894. Serial No. 523,329. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. WATSON,0f Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and use-- ful Improvement in Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of couplings the principal elements of which are hooks arranged to swing horizontally or laterally within the draw-heads, the coupling action being effected by the engagement of two such hooks one on each of the cars to be coupled.

I will describe indetail a car coupling embodying my improvement and then point out the novel features in claims.

Figure 1 in the accompanying drawings is a horizontal sectional view of a car coupling embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the draw head and a side View of the coupling-hook therein. Fig. 3 is a front view of the coupling and a portion of the car body to which .it is attached.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

. A is the draw-head of the hollow construc tion common to couplings of its class, fitted to move longitudinally between guides a secured to the bottom of the car-body and having attached to its rear end a tail-bolt or draw-bar b.

B is the coupling-hook which is of wellknown form, such for example as that represented in my United States Letters Patent No. 510,660, except that instead of being pivoted within the draw-head by a vertical pivot, it has in it a transverse slot 0 through which passes a transverse bolt d which also passes with a snug but loose fit through holes in the sides of the draw-head A and through horizontal slots at in the guides or on the car body.

0 is a spring applied within the draw-head to act upon the coupling-hook to keep it constantly pressed in thedirection for coupling. This spring isof coil form and surrounds a guide pin e which has a head or shoulder e at its inner end and it works through a socket f provided on the draw-head for the guidance of the said spring and pin, the said spring acting between the head or shoulder e of the said pin and a shoulder within the socket and pressing the said head e against the coupling-hook.

D is a hooked hand-lever pivoted within the draw-head by a pin g which constitutes its fulcrum and projecting laterally from the draw-head through a slot h therein. This lever is for the purpose of pushing aside the coupling-hook for uncoupling and is substantially like that which is illustrated and described in my aforesaid Letters Patent, No. 510,660, for the same purpose.

E is a stop attached to the bottom of the car-body G in such a position that the lever D, being fitted loosely to its pin g and having sufficient room provided for it in the slot h for play in a vertical direction, may be drawn under and placed against the front of the said stop as shown in dotted outline in Figs. 1 and 3, and held there by the pressure of the spring 0 against the coupling-hook, or may pass under and back of the said stop as shown in bold outline in the same figures, to leave the coupling-hook free to the action of the spring. When the lever is drawn forward under and beyond the stop, it throws back the coupling hook as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to the position for uncoupling and on being raised up in front of the said stop as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3, the pressure of the spring will hold the said lever pressed against the front of the said stop as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1, with such force that it will be retained there by the pressure and friction, but when the hooks of the two members of the coupling come together for coupling, the slightest throwing back of either hook to pass the other one, will throw the lever slightly forward and release it from the stop E, thus permitting it to drop byitsown weight below the stop as shown in bold outline in Fig. 3, so that'when the coupling hooks engage it will be thrown back beyond and clear of the stop as shown in bold outline in'Fig. 1, by the action of the spring (1 pressing against the coupling-hook. It will then be inoperative until again pulled forward for uncoupling.

When the coupling is engaged and the draft applied to it the rear end of the slot 0 is brought against the transverse bolt (1 which pulls on the draw-head A and the tail-bolt or draw-bar b. The transverse bolt d, serves the same purpose as the upright pin by which the coupling-hook is commonly attached to the draw-head, that is to say, it serves for the coupling hook to swing upon laterally for coupling and uncoupling, the center about which the hook so swings being approximately at the center of said bolt d. The said bolt also secures the draw-head in place and prevents it from being drawn out in case of breakage of the tail-bolt or draw-bar, the bolt in such case pulling against the front ends of the slots at a.

It may be observed by reference to Fig. 1, that as the pin 6 and springO operate against the back of the coupling hook forward of the center on which it swings, the said spring and pin always tend to throw the hook into the coupled position.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination with the draw-head and the longitudinally slotted guides therefor on the car-body, of the transversely-slotted coupling-hook and the transverse bolt passing through the transverse slot of the coupling hook, through the sides of the draw-head and through the longitudinal slots of said guides, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination with the car-body, the draw-head and the coupling hook arranged to swing laterally within the latter, of the lever fulcruined to the draw-head at one side of the coupling-hook, the spring at the other side of the draw-head and coupling-hook and the stop attached to the car-body where the lever may be held against it by the spring or may pass under it, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

' WILLIAM C. VATSON- \Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, LIDA M. EGBERT. 

